Graeme McDowell produced a brilliant final round to overturn an eight shot deficit and successfully defend a tournament for the first time in his career.

McDowell shrugged off some miserable weather conditions to retain his Alstom Open de France title, carding a closing 67 at Le Golf National, the joint-lowest round on a wet and windy day.

But the former US Open Champion still needed American Kevin Stadler to miss from two feet for par on the 18th, an effort which would have forced a sudden death play-off.

With McDowell then dropping his only shot of the day on the 18th after finding heavy rough off the tee, Stadler needed to par the 18th to force a play-off but missed from two feet just as McDowell left the recording area to prepare for extra holes.

Stadler's closing 76 left him in a tie for second with Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee, who dropped five shots in the first four holes but played the remainder in four under for a 72.

"I'm very surprised," McDowell said after claiming his tenth European Tour title. "Midway through my second glass of red wine last night, when I was very disappointed with my back-nine performance on Saturday, I really didn't think I'd be a) standing here with an opportunity to be in a play-off and b) with a trophy in my hands.

"I feel very fortunate. Kevin Stadler is a great, great player. I literally gave him that putt on the last green. I didn't expect him to miss that.

"It's not really the way you like to win. I was ready to go for the play-off, but I'll take it and run. I really needed this victory. It's a special one for me. It's pretty timely. There's a busy summer ahead and this a really good kick-start to the summer."

McDowell has deliberately played a lighter schedule this year to leave himself fresher for the second half of the season.

"It's a good decision now, but I have to say myself and my team were starting to question it," the former US Open Champion added.

"But my body has probably never been in as good a shape at this point in the season coming into two Major Championships, the FedEx Cup play-offs and hopefully The Ryder Cup.

"I'm very proud to defend my first title ever and this is the boost I needed on many fronts, especially The Ryder Cup (the win takes him tenth on the European points list)."

McDowell, who held the outright lead after the first round of The Open the last time it was held at Hoylake in 2006, added: "I was at Hoylake a couple of weeks ago.

"I think it's my type of set-up. You really have to find fairways off the tee and there are big flat greens where you can hole some putts. This is a nice confidence booster and I will be back at Hoylake next Sunday ready to go."

Stadler found himself five clear of the field when playing partner Jaidee got off to a terrible start and local favourite Victor Riu followed a birdie on the first with a double bogey on the second after hitting his tee shot in the water.

But the 34 year old then missed from 18 inches for par on the fourth and four feet on the sixth, before running up a double-bogey six on the next where his ball was only found in the deep rough because an on-course television commentator stood on it.

Stadler was allowed a free drop but could only hack the ball a few yards sideways and eventually did well to get up and down from short of the green for a six.

A poor chip from left of the eighth green led to another bogey and two more early in the back nine looked to have ended his chances as McDowell picked up shots on the 13th, 14th and 16th.

"It's very hard to lose the same tournament twice in the same day but I managed to do it," Stadler said. "But it's a good week overall.

"It's a little bizarre to be so far under par early (he was 12 under after 35 holes) and not be able to finish it off, but if you had given me second place coming over here I would have taken it in a heartbeat.

"I played good in spurts but obviously struggled in the rain today."

Stadler, who won his first US PGA Tour title in Phoenix in February, added: "It was tough (conditions) and I drove it terrible today. If you miss the fairway, you're going to get punished out here. That's just the way it is.

"I played great for a couple of days and had tons of chances and spent all day in the knee-deep stuff today and the score showed it.

"It was so miserable on the front nine today, I was practically expecting to bogey every hole. It was virtually impossible. Just hung in there and obviously made a couple of birdies late to have a chance.

"It was unfortunate on the last, I played a little safe second shot and I felt good over the putt, and just whiffed it unfortunately."